Last fall, a group of UC Berkeley students kicked off this project by conducting interviews and focus groups, asking the question, “Is there interest in establishing a women’s tech incubator in San Leandro?” The result was a resounding yes, although interviewees collectively expressed the desire to have space that offers more than a technology focus. Women entrepreneurs in San Leandro that were polled are interested in a space for all kinds of innovative, community driven, entrepreneurial ventures. With San Leandro’s fiber optic loop and software and hardware ecosystems, tech will surely be integrated into this space, but it won’t be a dividing line for who participates. San Leandro already has a strong community of women entrepreneurs: our question to them is now is “How can we best support you to ensure your business continues to grow and thrive?”

The 2017 Coro Fellows. Working with San Leandro is Fellow Caroline Hays, 2nd person from right in back row. Welcome Caroline!

A Coro Fellow, Caroline Hays, is working this month with Debbie Acosta, CIO, to answer this question. The Coro Fellowship is a public affairs leadership development program that places early career professionals across sectors for short term consulting projects. Caroline will take a deeper dive into this project to establish a vision and implementation plan for the incubator.

Truth is Beauty asks “What would the world be like if women were safe?” With her as our spark we ask, “What would the world be like if women were supported? What would the economy be like if women were equal?” A 2015 McKinsey study found that “In a ‘full potential’ scenario in which women play an identical role in labor markets to that of men, as much as $28 trillion, or 26 percent, could be added to global annual GDP by 2025.” Another 2015 McKinsey study found significant correlation between gender diversity in organizations and better financial outcomes. How might we build the infrastructure, support, and community to make this a reality in San Leandro?

As we move forward with this project, we need your help!

We want to learn more about all women entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners, regardless of sector or scale, working and/or living in the East Bay. If that’s you, take our 10 minute survey and tell us how you would design a women’s entrepreneurship space and what kinds of support you would like from the City and its community and business partners.

I have an online business, sfonthebay.com, comprised of 12 websites, including sanleandroonthebay.com. I write stories about fun things to do in SL and what’s happening, my own curated tour as I live close by in Sheffield Village. I would love to interview participants and write stories. And have a place to brainstorm with others and help create the identity for SL that changes outsiders’ perspective. Please include me: mlt@workingimages com. 510-336-1047.